Pa. has 1st case of fungal meningitis

The outbreak of fungal meningitis that has left more than a dozen people dead has reached Pennsylvania.

The state department of health says a patient from Altoona has been diagnosed with the illness.

Officials say the patient got an epidural steroid pain injection in July at Allegheny Pain Management in Altoona that has been linked to the outbreak. The patient is currently hospitalized and is receiving treatment as recommended by the CDC.

The contaminated medicine was produced by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, and officials say it was shipped to two facilities in the state -- both in western Pennsylvania.

The second facility -- the South Hills Pain Clinic in Allegheny County, has not had any illnesses reported to date.

“We have been working directly with the clinics to ensure that patients who received these injections are monitored and receive any necessary follow-up,” said Pa. Acting Secretary of Health Michael Wolf. “There are no other medical facilities in Pennsylvania that received or used the contaminated medication.”

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